The declaration of Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary by the state govt. under Pungro sub-division Kiphire district of Nagaland, remain silence without any awareness campaign or seminar to local communities on hunting or so on. The official wildlife conservation policies and programmes in the form of documentation have, as in the rest of the world, been instrumental in protecting the office files only. However, the same conservation agencies/govt. and local rural population who depend on the conserved habitats and species for survival and livelihood could face considerable conflicts, if awareness programmes are neglected by the concern deptt.
Now, as the local communities are hunting down wild animals near the sanctuary randomly, the population of the sanctuary animals may go down slowly and no chirping sound will be heard if the deptt. or NGOs remain silent. Therefore, declaration and conservation of sanctuaries, national parks and Close Area without awareness programme will be the worst threat to all living creatures in particular.
We are sharing the earth with millions of other living beings; just as humans make up one species. The Fakim wildlife Sanctuary bears the remaining pristine forest of Nagaland. The Fakim–Mt. Saramati and its surrounding area have also been identified as one of the Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in India. Blaming the local community and waiting for Ministers, MLAs will lead to high speed destruction to biodiversity for which concerned department and other NGOs should initiate before it is too late. By destroying biodiversity, extinction is forever. No human agency, not even the most brilliant scientist, can recreate a species once it disappears.
Conservation of forest and wildlife is the most important component of an environment. Trees are necessary for environmental changes; plants, rainfalls etc. are all determined by the forest and wild animals living in it. The local community participation and declaring of their forest into conservation means getting some benefits to the people. They involve clearing of weeds in the forest, fencing etc... and also expecting in return benefits by the local community and participation on conservation of sanctuary, national parks and so on.
Indeed, organising awareness campaign workshop would further reinforce the need of bringing local community participation into the centre-stage of conservation.
Y Makezho
E-mail: ymakezho@gmail.com
